BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – The University of Vermont has called off plans for a semester-long study program in Oaxaca, Mexico, citing safety concerns associated with civil unrest there, authorities said.

After starting the program last spring as the first of its kind run entirely by the University, school officials decided to cancel next spring’s trip after a teacher strike in Oaxaca City and anti-government uprisings, which led the U.S. State Department to warn would-be travelers to the region.

“It was enough with the State Department saying there are problems there,” said anthropology professor Luis Vivanco, the program’s advisor. “It’s part of erring on the side of caution. When you have a group of college students abroad, there are many, many risks. They don’t know the language super well; they can’t always read cultural cues, and they can find themselves in difficult situations.”

The University had yet to accept applications for the trip before deciding last month to call it off, said Vivanco, who said he hopes the program will eventually resume.

The State University of New York at Plattsburgh, meanwhile, did not cancel a similar program and has had no problems, according to Charles Simpson, co-director of that school’s Oaxaca program.

“We’ve kept very much in touch with the situation. We have a faculty-in-residence person there who’s been in touch with us on a regular basis,” Simpson said.